1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a circular saw or disk cutter, and more particularly to a circular saw suitable for cutting of wood or a wood panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
A circular saw or disk cutter including a base disk having a plurality of tip supports arranged along the outer circumference and a plurality of hardened cutting tip inserts (cutter inserts) respectively fixed to the tip supports by brazing or the like is frequently used for cutting of wood or the like. The tip supports are spaced at given intervals in the circumferential direction of the base disk or annular disk-shaped base, and a gullet is defined between adjacent ones of the tip supports.
Each tip support has a recess, and each cutting tip insert is fixed in the recess of the corresponding tip support by brazing or the like. The base disk has a mounting hole at its central portion, and a rotating shaft of a rotary tool is inserted through the mounting hole of the base disk. The base disk is fastened to the rotating shaft by a bolt to thereby mount the circular saw to the rotary tool. Particularly in a circular saw for opening a hole through a wood panel or in a circular saw for lumbering, wiper tips are provided at a radially middle position of the base disk, so as to prevent the possibility that the circular saw may be tightened by cut surfaces formed in wood by the circular saw.
More specifically, pluralities of openings are formed through the base disk at a radially middle position so as to be equally spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the base disk. The wiper tips are respectively fixed by brazing or the like to wall surfaces defining the openings on the downstream side of a rotational direction of the base disk. The wiper tips function to thinly cut or shave off the cut surfaces during a cutting operation by the tip inserts, thereby preventing the possibility that the circular saw may be tightened on the opposite side surfaces thereof by the cut surfaces. As a result, smooth cutting by the circular saw can be attained.
However, in the conventional circular saw for opening a hole through a wood panel or for lumbering, each wiper tip has a front surface formed as a flat surface in cross section. Accordingly, wood chips or shavings generated during the cutting operation may be scattered by the flat front surface of each wiper tip, and the chips thus scattered may intrude into the spaces between the side surfaces of each wiper tip and the cut surfaces of wood. As a result, the base disk may be tightened by the intrusion of the chips.